You Have Stolen My Heart
by De Fideli
Summary: He tried to forget her. There's no way in the world it could happen, because fate seemed to be throwing her at him. Unfortunately, she wasn't willing for it to happen. St. Berry
1. California Dreamin'

Jesse St. James woke up in his UCLA dorm room, wondering about the events of last night. An overly tanned blonde lay next to him under the covers, half awake. _Hmm, I didn't do too bad this time, _he thought.

"Who's Rachel?" the blonde asked.

"What?" Jesse looked at her as if she had just said something incredibly intelligent, which was highly unlikely with the selection of girls he had been spending the night with. The name inflicted a certain sadness upon him.

"You fell asleep last night and kept saying her name," the blonde said, rolling her eyes. He caught a glimpse of her necklace, which said Malina. _I guess that's her name…_he thought.

"Oh, uh… my step mom. Must've been a bad dream," he shrugged, trying to avoid a flood of memories rushing through his head. He wasn't going to think about her again. He promised himself that it was just a waste of time, and couldn't possibly do him any good.

"Whatever," Malina grumbled, putting her dress back on. "It's been fun, call me the next time you want to hook up. You're okay at it." She walked out of the room, leaving Jesse to sit on the bed all by himself, but not for long.

Kendall Coy, another freshman from Oregon, walked in the room. "Another night with another chick. Man, they should really start getting paid," he joked, plopping down on his own bed. He didn't care much for whatever Jesse did at night. Usually, he was down at the library being quite the student, or staying at his aunt's beach house just a couple of miles away. "Was she a victim of the Rachel dream too?"

"Kendall. Shut up," Jesse snapped at the blonde. Kendall knew about the dreams, but he never knew about Rachel, or the story behind her. Jesse definitely wanted to keep it that way. He liked that his roommate didn't know much about him. That way, they didn't end up hating each other like most roommates did.

"Whoa man, easy there," he said. "Anyway, when you're done with rehearsal and whatnot, my band's doing some lunch music over at Sandstone, if you wanna come and see the light of day sometime."

"I'll think about it," Jesse said, laying back down on his bed while Kendall walked out the door.

* * *

"Rachel, honey, we're about to land," Quinn Fabray said, waking up her aisle seatmate. Rachel Berry lifted her head from her golden star-shaped pillow.

Quinn and Rachel were both making campus visits in California. While Quinn was visiting UCLA to talk to their cheerleading coach, Rachel was there to visit USC's theater program. The thought of going to UCLA made her shudder, bringing back memories of a certain high school flame.

As the plane finished landing, Quinn's eyes lit up seeing the California sunshine. Compared to the dreary and bleak Ohio skyline, this was paradise. She might as well just fill out an application now.

"Fine," Rachel grumbled, "But I'm changing. I really don't feel like walking around in 90 degree weather in velour." Quinn looked at her pink sweat suit and understood.

The two got back to the hotel, where Rachel changed from her pink sweats to a yellow strapless sundress. She brushed her hair into a low side ponytail with her bangs braided, and put on a pair of brown gladiator sandals. Clearly, she had done her research on sun attire from reading countless magazines. She didn't want to feel like the outcast like she always did in Lima.

"Whoa," Quinn said, doing a double take. "No animal sweaters?" Rachel rolled her eyes as Quinn looked at this natural Rachel, who actually paid attention to complementing her tanned skin with the right colors. She dressed more like Quinn, who was sporting a red romper, showing some McKinley spirit thousands of miles away.

"Might as well look for some college guys while I'm here," Rachel shrugged. Her and Finn had decided to take a break, keeping their options open. Quinn was being constantly surprised by this new Rachel. Had the sea breeze gotten to her head? This was a more laidback and fun girl. _I might enjoy this week,_ Quinn thought.

"Well then, I say we start at the beach," Quinn smirked.


	2. Too Close to the Flame

"And this concludes the Kendall Coy afternoon show, ladies and gentlemen," Kendall said, stepping off the mini-stage as the small crowd dispersed. The lunch hour was busy at the Sandstone, a casual seaside café. Kendall sat on the bar, sipping his coke. The guy wasn't a drinker, mainly because of his allergy to alcohol. He contemplated his options on how to spend the afternoon. Unlike most of the California residents, he stayed away from the party and surf scene. The only reason he ever lingered around there was because of the music.

A brunette in a yellow dress came up to the bar, looking exhausted. "Ugh, I need a water," she said to herself, impatiently looking for any employees.

Kendall grinned, before walking up to the girl. "You're not from here, are you?"

The girl frowned, and then sighed. Her shoulders slumped, but she looked up with her deep and dark brown eyes. "Is it that obvious?" she asked, with a tone of defeat.

"Don't get me wrong, you're dressed like you are. But the strong sense of urgency gave you away," Kendall let out a chuckle. "Kendall, or Kenny."

"Rachel," the girl said. "So you're from here?"

"Nah, a few states up. Oregon," he replied. "Physics major, music minor, UCLA." He ran his hands down his short blonde hair. "So what brings you here, Miss Rachel?"

"USC's theater program," she said. "I wanted to get away from my Midwestern scene, it's no place to start my road to Broadway."

"Ah, should've known you were too good for powder blue," Kendal sighed, but grinned a second after, showing his deep dimples.

"It's not that, it's just a long story," Rachel muttered, trying to forget the whole Jesse ordeal.

"Well, maybe you can explain to me this perplexing story while I take you on a campus tour? A little recruiting never hurt anyone," Kendall offered. The dimpled grin was enough for Rachel to say yes.

After two hours of going around UCLA, one could've just called Rachel and Kendall best friends. They talked over her whole story about glee club and Jesse, without Kendall ever thinking about the connection between Rachel and his roommate. He listened intently, engrossed in this total stranger's high school drama.

"So this guy dumped you right before the big show so he could win?" Kendall asked, putting together all he had heard.

"Yeah, and he got his whole team to pelt my vegan self with eggs," Rachel added, shuddering at the memory.

"Well, then I'm going to try redeeming UCLA with this," Kendall said, leaning forward and planting a kiss on her lips. She didn't need to think twice about whether she liked it or not. Who knew she would start considering UCLA.

"Kenny!" A voice called from down the hall, and the sound of steps grew in volume. The voice sounded all too familiar to Rachel.

Sure enough, it was familiar. Kendall turned around and greeted the brown-haired boy with his signature grin.

"Jesse!" Kendall greeted him enthusiastically. Rachel felt like getting up and running as fast as she could out of the hallway.

_Wow, just my luck. Out of all the dorm rooms in UCLA and all the cute roommates. Seriously?_ she thought. Her heart stopped and she forgot to breathe for a good 15 seconds.

"Rachel, you okay?" Kendall waved his hand right in front of her eyes. But Rachel could not get over the boy standing right in front of the door and soon, the boy mirrored her expression, only standing up. However, he took a shorter time to recover and flashed his million dollar smile.

"Rachel!" Jesse exclaimed, wanting to pick her up and hug her. In fact, he almost did, if he didn't remember that she was was probably still extremely furious. "I mean… Rachel. Uh… come here often?"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Kendall asked, with a puzzled expression. That expression soon changed into one of shock. "You must be the Rachel that Jesse - and you're the Jesse that Rachel - Wow." Kendall said, then took a deep breath.


	3. You Hold Me Down

**A.N: **Hey guys, thanks a lot for the reviews! Glad to see some positive feedback. Keep reading on, I'm going to try to do this almost daily, because I don't like doing homework (: I'm also going to try to add on some length because the 2 first chapters were kind of rushed to the dialogue.

Also, I know that some of you want Quinn back, don't worry, she will be (: Just not in this chapter.

And if you're wondering what I intended Kendall on looking like, think Alex Pettyfer with short hair.

* * *

"You look great, Rachel," Jesse said, trying to break the ice. Kendall was sitting down on an armchair, staring blankly at the floor. He was walking on a tightrope, trying not to fall into a sea of tension. Jesse was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out a way to go about that situation.

Rachel's incredulous stare turned into a piercing glare. The longer she stared at him, the more she get mad at his presence. "Jesse, please leave," she said shortly.

"Umm… Rachel, this is kind of his dorm room…" Kendall said, trying not to offend her. He knew the whole story, but he didn't think it was this bad. Not to the point of eternal hate. He looked down on his shoes, as if keeping eye contact would unleash the chaos. He looked at Rachel for a second. Despite the fact that she dressed in a happy yellow color, she was boiling with rage. But then again, he did know why this all happened.

"Rachel, can we please talk? Well, you don't have to talk. I just need you to hear me out and let me tell you some things I never got the chance to," Jesse said, trying to get around her stare and into her emotions.

_He looks even better than I remember,_ Rachel thought. He had ditched the black wardrobe, for now at least. He was sporting a sky blue Lacoste polo and dark wash jeans, looking as Californian as the next guy. _Wait, I'm supposed to be mad. I hate him. I hate everything he stands for. Oh crap… He asked me a question. _"Jesse, I don't need to hear anything I have no reason to believe. You've showed me everything about yourself."

"People make mistakes, Rachel, and I did. That was in _high school_! I'm so much better now, you have to believe me. Just give me a chance, please," Jesse pleaded. He couldn't believe how he was sounding. He was Jesse St. James and his middle name was basically pride. He wasn't going to go down to anyone else's standards. But it was Rachel. The thing was, her standards were higher. Especially now. He needed to work to get her. And she looked even better than she did before. She radiated with this inner confidence that she hadn't had just needed a chance to talk to her and convince her that there was still something there.

"There's nothing to hear, Jesse," Rachel said firmly. She couldn't stand to be around him any longer. She didn't want to hear any of his lies, or even think about them. But worst of all, she didn't want to risk falling in love with him again. She couldn't do that to herself. "If you want to do me a favor, just leave me alone. Never ever walk into my life again, please. You've done enough."

Jesse's legs started to give out on him, and not in the good way. People had told him things that had hurt him before, but this was different. People had broken him down and criticized his talent, falsely, he thought, but he had never ever been criticized about his heart. Well, mainly because he had never put his heart out there. Now there was this girl standing in front of him who wouldn't even give him the time of day. But something about her made him want to try even harder. Maybe it was the hurt that he could see in her eyes. Or maybe it was because he knew she didn't forget about all the things that had gone on between them. The good moments, the ones that he felt like made him the happiest man in the world.

"Kendall, will you please drive me back to the hotel?" Rachel asked, and Kendall looked at Rachel, then at Jesse. Jesse nodded at him, signaling that they were still cool.

"Sure thing, Rachel," he said, standing up slowly as he picked up his keys. He walked out of the room and let out a deep breath, as if he had just been let out of a chokehold. He sympathized with Rachel because he knew what had happened to her, but at the same time, he knew that Jesse was, deep down, a good guy. Despite his sleeping around, he knew that Jesse was a romantic. Why? Because even when Jesse didn't have a girl over, Jesse still cried out Rachel's name at night and woke up constantly. Kendall was a light sleeper and he observed these things. He didn't know what to think. There were even some feelings for Rachel, after the chemistry from the kiss. But Kendall knew that he shouldn't act on these things, especially not at a time like this. He wasn't a drama-involved person and he wasn't about to start now. _This is going to be an interesting ride_, Kendall thought to himself as he toyed with his keys.

* * *

"Ugh, honestly! Can you believe him!" Rachel practically yelled as Kendall took her to the Crowne Plaza. "I can't believe he's your roommate, how can you seriously stand him. I feel really sorry for you, I'm sorry. And that it kind of ruined our afternoon. I mean, we were having such a great time!" Kendall let out a laugh, and Rachel blushed. "Sorry… I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"Just a little bit. But then again, I've proved I'm a good listener, right?" Kendall smiled.

_This guy could quite possibly be the smiliest person I've ever met… Is smiliest a word? _Rachel thought. _But that doesn't change that he's cute. And much better than Jesse St. James will ever be. _"Sorry, it's just… Jesse brings out the worst in me and I can't stand it. And he seems so relaxed about it, like it doesn't even phase him."

Kendall sighed in his mind, realizing that Jesse really did have a natural talent at acting. "How do you know it's not just an act?" he asked Rachel.

"Because Jesse's never been that good of an actor unless he's trying to hurt me," Rachel said, looking offended. "Are you defending him? After everything I've told you! I spilled my heart, and you're coming to his side. Is this the stupid bro code that you guys talk about?" Kendall let out another laugh and although Rachel still thought his bliss was adorable, she was getting annoyed. "Stop laughing at everything! This is an extremely serious matter and all you can do is laugh?"

"Isn't that what it's all about, though?" Kendall asked, looking at her for a mere two seconds and then back at the road.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked, feeling like she had missed something.

"Love. That's what it's about," Kendall said simply, as if he thought anyone could understand him. "Someone bringing out the worst in you, and yet you still can't stop thinking about them."

"Wh-what? You think I love Jesse? That's the absolute opposite! I hate him, with a burning passion. I just want him off the face of the earth, I can't even begin to tell you -" Rachel paused, and then she realized just exactly what Kendall was talking about. And she was definitely doing it.

Kendall didn't need to say anything else, so as usual, he just smiled as he stopped in front of the hotel entrance. "I guess I'll see you again sometime, if you want. I'm at the Sandbar everyday during the lunch hour." Kendall asked, as Rachel opened the door. She smiled and waved as she got out of the car.

"Thanks, Kendall," she said, as she shut the door and walked away.


	4. We Borrowed Heaven

**A.N: **Whoooo, another update (: Hope you guys are keeping up alright. This won't be too long of a chapter, enjoy!

* * *

When Rachel got back to the hotel room, Quinn was nowhere to be found. Her clothes had been neatly organized and her 4 pairs of sandals were laid out beside the closet, while Rachel had yet to even unpack anything. She never trusted the hotel drawers, for fear of spiders or worse things. It was 5:30 in the afternoon and the night was definitely not over. She whipped out her cellphone from her purse and dialed in Quinn's number.

"Hello?" Quinn answered, sounding a little out of breath.

"Hi Quinn, where are you?"

"In the fitness center, working out." Rachel should've figured. After giving birth, Quinn worked hard to regain and keep her head cheerio physique. She had clocked in at least two hours everyday, and now she was even in better shape than she was before the pregnancy.

"Want to go shopping and grab some dinner? We have like three hours," Rachel offered, pacing around the room.

"Yeah, I'll be up there and we can go," Quinn said, getting off the elliptical, then hung up.

Rachel prepared for a chillier night, grabbing a white cardigan and tying it all together with a thick brown belt.

Quinn entered the room, her green racerback tank and black spandex drenched in sweat. Without initiating any contact with Rachel, she headed straight for the shower.

Rachel lay in her bed motionless for the time being, staring at the ceiling with various thoughts running through her mind. _Was I too harsh to him? Maybe he deserved a second chance. I don't know_, Rachel thought. Then she made a disgusted face after realizing what she had just said to herself. After the whole egging thing, he had crossed the point of no return, and Rachel decided that she was just doing what she knew was right. _After all, this is what Jesse deserved. I think._

Quinn got out of the shower and put on black jeggings and a grey one-shouldered top and dried her long blonde hair into the natural wave that it had.

"So how was your day today?" Quinn asked, with the slightest bit of concern for Rachel's day. She knew she would regret asking the question.

"Horrible," Rachel said, rolling her eyes and sighing as they walked to their rental car. "Well, great at first. I met this extremely attractive college student named Kendall, who showed me around the UCLA campus voluntarily. But when we headed back to his dorm-"

"Whoa there! That's a little too fast, isn't it?" Quinn interrupted, before things could get more racy.

"It isn't what you think, just let me finish," Rachel said, as Quinn hopped in the driver's seat. They had decided prior to the trip that Quinn would be doing the driving around, considering she was the more relaxed driver who could handle Los Angeles traffic. "Well, we're having such a great time, and then his roommate walks in, who happens to be…"

Quinn's eyes widened. "No way. Seriously?" She asked.

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, just exactly my luck," she said, as she crossed her arms and leaned back into her seat.

"I'm sorry," Quinn said softly. She kind of sympathized with Rachel. After all, they had been going through almost the same amount of guy drama throughout high school.

"Well, it wasn't all that bad. He wanted to talk, but I refused. Finally, I got to get a little payback," Rachel smirked. She had to admit, she did feel good when she was practically yelling at Jesse.

"Well, that's always good, I guess. I wonder what he would've said to you…" Quinn trailed off, thinking about it. She never talked to Jesse much during his period of being in the glee club, but they seemed so happy together. She knew that happiness was real, because she had felt it before for a short time with Puck, and with Finn. (**A/N:****Sam isn't in existence in this story. Sorry!)**

"Probably a bunch of lies," Rachel shrugged, trying to brush it off. She was trying so hard not to give Jesse a chance in her mind, but Quinn was making it harder. She knew that if she had failed at that, then she would come running back to him, which was definitely not what she needed. This trip was supposed to be about her.

* * *

They entered a small Italian buffet called Vincenzo's, which was down in the basement. They had heard good things about it, although it was a little on the pricey side. Rachel approached the waiter at the counter, and surprise, it was the one and only Kendall Coy.

"Whoa! I've seen you before!" He grinned, grabbing two menus for them. "Is this one of those woman dates?"

"Just grabbing dinner. We had no idea you worked here, so this isn't a ploy to stalk you or anything," Rachel said quickly, trying not to sound like a creep.

Kendall laughed, as usual. "I believe you, don't worry," he said, leading them to a small booth. "Besides, if there were a stalker, it would be you, considering I don't know your friend…"

"This is my friend, Quinn Fabray," Rachel gestured to Quinn, who smiled at Kendall. "Quinn, Kendall."

"Do they just have all the pretty girls in Ohio or something?" Kendall said, which made Quinn's cheeks turn slightly pink. "Oh, and…"

"Yes?" Rachel asked.

"Well, considering today's events, you probably shouldn't have come here for dinner, cause… your waiter just might happen to be…" Kendall trailed off.


	5. Because I Like the Way It Hurts

"Welcome to Vincenzo's, I'll be your server tonight," a Jersey-accented female voice said, and all three of them turned around to see a thin and tanned blonde in a black uniform. Kendall

"Just might happen to be what, Kendall?" Quinn asked, as she looked at the waitress. Her overly-bronze skin tone gave away her artificial tan and her eyelashes were bathing in mascara, but she was decently pretty in a party-girl kind of way.

"You know them, Kendall? Do you just want to take over this table?" she asked, twirling her pen around her fingers.

"No, it's okay, I have to be somewhere for a bit…" Kendall said, and ran back to the kitchen, leaving Rachel, Quinn and the waitress dumbfounded. The waitress shrugged it off and the two other girls took a seat.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I'll be your server, my name's Claire," she said, chewing on a piece of gum. "Can I get you guys your drinks?"

* * *

Kendall burst through the doors of the kitchen, his heartbeat racing with the current situation that was about to unfold. "Jesse!" he yelled, looking for his roommate, who was another waiter at the restaurant. Jesse appeared from the freezer room, startled by the volume in Kendall's voice.

"Yes, Kendall? Is something wrong?" he asked, throwing the towel on top of his shoulder.

"Well, you know how you wanted to get Rachel back and everything, and that you still have even the slightest chance for that to happen?" Kendall asked, pacing around restlessly back and forth. "That chance is about to be crushed."

"What are you talking about?" Jesse asked, puzzled.

"Well, you know how you and Claire have had that whole thing going on, and that Claire never keeps anything to herself?" Kendall said, and then pointed out through the kitchen window.

Jesse peered through, and his jaw dropped. "This can't be happening…" he said, as he saw Claire serving Rachel and Quinn. "Seriously? How did I just not get that table?"

"That's what I thought! I thought that you were assigned to that part of the restaurant, so I put them there!" Kendall explained. "On the bright side, it is a buffet, and there isn't much contact between the customer and waiter."

"Kenny, she can't know that I know Rachel, she'll tell her everything. I can't let this happen. This would make her hate me even more than she already does," he said, exasperated. This was probably one of the worst days of his life, despite the fact that he had gotten to see Rachel's beautiful face after the longest time of going without it. _Would she even care if she found out about Claire? _he thought. He didn't know what would be worse, between her getting hurt from knowing, or her not even caring anymore.

* * *

Claire set down Rachel and Quinn's waters. _Hmm, either they're cheap, or on a diet. They both look fit, and the blonde looks extremely athletic… I wonder how Kendall knows them, _Claire thought. "So, how do you guys know Kendall?" she asked them impulsively. Claire liked knowing everyone and everything. Well, not academically, but she wanted to know everyone's interesting news.

"I just met him today at the Sandbar," Rachel said, not knowing whether to be comfortable with talking to the girl or not. From what she saw in Kendall's reaction, there was something wrong with Claire being there. "Are you good friends with him?"

"Well, kind of," Claire said, twirling her hair. "I'm more of friends with his roommate. Well, not really friends, like party hookup buddies. His name's Jesse. He's pretty hot, I'm not gonna lie. I mean, that's what I love about college. You can live on ramen noodles and condoms. But Kendall's a sweetheart, if you're interested in him, he's definitely single. He never dates anyone, never hooks up, I don't know what's wrong with the boy. He could even be gay…" Claire loved talking. She knew that she had no filter, and she figured that at least it made her more real of a person. After all, she really didn't have anything to hold back.

Rachel was left speechless, trying to fight back tears. There was a huge rush of emotions and she felt like she was going to get sick. She put on her best acting face, and smiled. "Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom." She got up and walked towards the bathroom, where she looked at herself in the mirror, before starting to sob. She tried to regain control of herself. _What are you doing, Rachel? You shouldn't care about him anymore. He doesn't care about you. I mean, it's obvious you can do better because he's downgraded to meaningless hook-ups._ She collected her composure and reapplied her lipstick, flipped her hair, and walked back out.

She ran into a waiter dressed in black, and quickly said "Sorry," without looking up.

"Don't be," the waiter said, with the ever-familiar voice. Sure enough, Rachel looked up, and there was Jesse St. James.

"Wow, you just have to be everywhere, don't you," Rachel rolled her eyes, before starting to walk away.

"I'm sorry, Rachel, I work here. But I'm just so lucky to see your face for the second time today. I missed you-" Jesse started to say.

"Oh really, Jesse?" She said, crossing her arms, trying not to start yelling at him. Jesse saw the fire burning in her eyes, and he knew. He could tell that she found out about Claire. Although he was relieved to know that she at least cared, he didn't want it to be like this. "I don't know if that works on the girls you hook up with, but it's really hard to believe anything you say anymore. Just please leave me alone, it's what I want and sooner or later you're going to realize it's what you want."

Jesse didn't care if the customers were disturbed, if he showed his vulnerability, or if Claire would be furious. As Rachel was walking away from him, Jesse blurted out, "I love you!" He watched as she didn't even stop as Quinn joined her to walk out of the door.


	6. Take Time to Realize

**A/N: **I love reviews, so thank you all! I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far. Hope I didn't do the predictable to have Jesse's flame as the waitress. Don't worry, there will be more of her.

There will be singing in the later episodes, by the way, so stay tuned!

* * *

Rachel stomped out of the restaurant, tears flowing down her eyes uncontrollably, as Quinn tried to keep up. Quinn didn't know what to say. When a girl was hurt, there wasn't a set of rules on what to do; you just had to let her be.

"Rachel!" a voice boomed from the entrance of the restaurant. Rachel knew it wasn't Jesse, so she turned around to see Kendall sprinting towards them.

"Kendall… what are you doing?" Rachel asked, wondering why this guy was trying so hard. Jesse obviously didn't deserve a friend like him. He didn't understand how much of an ass Jesse was and how much hurt he had put Rachel through.

"Do you believe him?" Kendall asked, panting with his hands on his knees. He didn't know why he was doing this. Maybe it was because he was probably the only one who could see the truth, and that he was the only one who could do something about it.

"What reason do I have to believe, Kenny? I'd love to believe anything says, I really do, but I can't do that to myself," Rachel practically yelled, tears still constantly streaming down.

"Because you love him, Rachel," Kendall replied simply.

"You don't know me. We just met today and you can suddenly play matchmaker? It's more complicated than that. You don't understand," Rachel insisted. She was starting to get mad at Kendall. She didn't want to think about him anymore. She wanted to forget. She didn't want to feel anything when she heard his name. She wanted him to be just another boy.

Kendall was tired of it. They were wasting away the perfect opportunity and it was killing him. He could feel it.

"You're right, Rachel," he said, ultimately sounding pissed off by then. "All I can do is hear him call for you almost every night when he's dreaming, and realize when he's silent that he's actually crying. And I watch him take these girls back to the dorm every night because he can't stand to feel alone, because it means thinking of you. I know that Jesse's never going to say these things to you, and maybe he's never going to know that I told you. But he's trying all that he can not to live with regret for the rest of his life."

Once again, Rachel was speechless. Where did this Kendall come from? She had gotten used to the smiley Kendall, the one who always looked at the bright side. She didn't know how to respond.

"I-I cant. Not now," Rachel said, choked up. "I'll see you later, maybe. I just want to figure out what to do." She got in the passenger seat of her car, as Quinn started it up and they drove away.

Kendall sighed and walked slowly back to the restaurant, wondering how things were going with Jesse.

* * *

"You love her? Really, Jesse?" Claire laughed. "You sounded a little desperate there. All for a girl who's not even as attractive as me."

"Claire, you have no idea what you're talking about," Jesse said, not even looking up to make eye contact. _Where did Kendall go? _he thought, looking for his roommate.

"I know that you're in college, and you should be having fun with your life, not chasing after one girl. You have me, and all my other friends. I don't see why you're complaining," Claire rolled her eyes. "Besides, you know she's not going to give it to you like I do." She giggled, and Jesse slammed his fist on a cabinet.

"Claire. Please, shut up for your own good. You don't know the first thing about loving somebody, and really, you're not even that good at doing what you do," Jesse retorted.

"Oh, really now? Then why do you call me every single week and treat me like a princess, letting me use the money in your bank account?" Claire laughed. To her, this was all a game and she was winning. Frankly because when the night was over, Claire always got what she wanted.

"If she were mine, Claire, I'd give her the world," Jesse replied, surprised at his own confidence in his bold statement.

"Whatever, baby," Claire smirked, and Jesse groaned.

* * *

The next morning, Rachel woke up with her eyes puffy from crying, and a massive headache. She was glad that her visit to USC wasn't until the next day, otherwise she definitely wouldn't have had a chance of being admitted into their theater program. _Do I even want to go? _She asked herself. _If I can't avoid him in a huge city like LA, maybe I should rethink the whole USC thing…_

"Hey lady, ready for the day?" Quinn asked, already up and about. She was sweaty and in a t-shirt and spandex, coming back from her morning run.

"Yeah, I am, whatever we're doing," Rachel said, getting up and letting out a long yawn. "Just definitely not a repeat of yesterday. I'll go take a shower." She got up and walked to the bathroom, locking the door and turning the shower on.

Quinn heard a knock on the door a few minutes later, and looked into the peephole. Kendall was standing there, in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. She opened the door, wondering what drama that day would bring.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping out of the room after grabbing her key card.

"I just wanted to apologize to Rachel about last night. I just thought that maybe you guys would want a nice guide around L.A. You know, someone who knows the shortcuts," Kendall offered sincerely, flashing his smile once again.

"That would be nice," Quinn nodded, smiling back. His happiness was definitely contagious. "So about last night. Why'd you do it for them and not just leave them alone?"

"There was a girl I dated back in high school. We were together for about one year, and then we broke up because we just couldn't stand to be around each other anymore. But the way she made me feel sometimes, so happy, I just wanted it. I missed it after we broke up. Maybe she wasn't the greatest person in the world. Maybe it was just the feeling of finding someone who wanted love as much as I did. But I missed it. Just before our senior year, she got in a car wreck with a drunk driver, and she passed away. After that, I kind of lost it. I couldn't stand myself anymore and I started getting addicted to pot and everything, and I couldn't even remember my senior year anymore." Kendall said, and then fell silent, as Quinn looked at him, just wanting to hold him tight. "Well, I cleaned up, and I just want that love again. I just want to be happy. Even if it just means making other people happy."

They spent a moment of silence together, before they looked at each other for a few seconds, and both leaned in to share a long, passionate kiss.


	7. Turn Around, Bright Eyes

Despite how hard he had tried, Jesse St. James woke up. He looked around in his dorm room, and he felt like how he did everyday. Alone. Jesse glanced at the time. In two hours, he had to go to rehearsal. They were doing Footloose this year, an easy play to please the crowds. Of course, Jesse had acquired the part of Ren without any challenge. He could do all the dances with his eyes closed. His other castmates, not so much.

Jesse got up and walked around his room, putting on a green v-neck and khaki shorts. He messed around with his hair before settling with just a scalpful of messy curls. After getting completely ready, he grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

_Hmm, I wonder where Kendall went today_, Jesse thought. Although Kendall was a great friend to him, Jesse had to admit that he was jealous of his friend in many aspects. He knew the whole heartbreak situation that Kendall had gone through, and yet the guy was still happy. Girls flocked around his positive, happy-go-luck self, yet Kendall didn't fall into the vicious cycle of hook-ups like Jesse did. Even Rachel liked him, and that killed him.

Jesse knew what he wanted, and the almost daily sex wasn't part of it. He wanted Rachel back. Her dramatic, vain self. God, he loved that girl. She was the only one he cared enough about that she could make him feel like a piece of shit, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

He didn't know what to do for the rest of the two hours of waiting, so he headed early to the auditorium, liking the fact that it was empty for once. He approached the grand piano on the stage, and sat down on the bench, letting out a deep sigh. He hadn't played in so long. He missed just sitting down with the piano and singing; no choreography or costumes. He just wanted to feel again.

He thought about the last time he saw Rachel before he left, at Regionals. Seeing her sing with Finn was torture. He should've been the one singing with her. Maybe if he didn't throw everything away at the last second, things could've worked out like he wanted them to.

He put his hands on the keys, and let go.

__

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in  
'Cause I got time while she got freedom  
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven

You got his heart and my heart and none of the pain  
You took your suitcase, I took the blame  
Now I'm tryna make sense of what little remains, oh  
'Cause you left me with no love and no love to my name

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in  
'Cause I got time while she got freedom  
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't break  
No it don't break, no it don't breakeven, no

What am I gonna do  
When the best part of me was always you  
And what am I supposed to say  
When I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces  
(One's still in love while the other one's leaving)  
I'm falling to pieces  
('Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven)

Oh, it don't breakeven, no  
Oh, it don't breakeven, no  
Oh, it don't breakeven, no

_Her best days will be some of my worst  
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first  
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping  
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no_

What am I suppose to do  
When the best part of me was always you and  
What am I suppose to say  
When I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah  
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason  
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving  
And when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no

What am I gonna do  
When the best part of me was always you  
And what am I suppose to say  
When I'm all choked up and you're okay  


"Why are you wasting your voice on her, Jesse," a female voice said, and he turned around. "You could be singing about things that are actually worth it." Claire walked to him and ran her hands down his hair. He scooted away from her.

"Don't touch me, Claire," he said angrily, "You don't know anything."

"I know that you seem a lot happier when you're doing me than when you're moping around about her," Claire smirked.

"How do you know I'm not thinking about her?" Jesse said smugly, regaining his confidence.

"Now that's the asshole Jesse I like," Claire smiled, figuring that she got what she wanted.

"Claire, just stop breathing. Or just stay away from me. Please," Jesse said, not wanting to deal with her any longer. He always used to enjoy arguing with girls because it meant he'd end up in bed with them, but he was just growing weary.

Suddenly, Jesse felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, and looked at the Caller ID. He couldn't believe what he saw: Rachel Berry on his phone screen. After staring at the phone for a few seconds, he picked up the phone.

"Rachel?" He said, his heart racing.

"This, this is Q-quinn," Quinn's voice sounded extremely shaky, like she was crying.

"Quinn, what's wrong?"

"You, y-you need to come to the hospital, please," she said quickly, choking on her tears. "Rachel, and Kendall, they're here and they're not okay, please come, please."

Jesse ran out of the auditorium and into his car, and hit the gas pedal harder than ever before.


	8. Every Now and Then I Fall Apart

**Sorry for the late, late, late update, I've been reaaaal busy. Hope you like this one!**

**Keep reviewing (:**

Jesse St. James pulled up to the UCLA Medical Center, his heart still beating fast. Thoughts were running through his mind at 100 miles a minute, and he got more and more worried with every second that passed. Quinn wasn't telling him anything; she was too worked up and frantic to even get a message across during the phone call. He had left Claire in the auditorium, despite her protests that Kendall was her friend too. The truth was, she had tried to hook up with Kendall before, but because of his man-prudence, it didn't work out too well. He knew Quinn and Rachel would be upset if Claire was there anyway, and Kendall wouldn't miss her too much.

He parked and sprinted to the entrance, thankful that there were automatic doors because he had way too much momentum.

"Can I get to Quinn Fabray?" he asked the receptionist, overflowing with anxiety.

"She's in the East Wing, 1103, just getting evaluated for trauma. You can wait outside and see her in about 5 minutes," one of the nurses said over the counter.

Jesse found his way to the room, where Quinn was already outside, pacing back and forth, tears still flowing down her face. Jesse was dying to know what happened to Kendall and Rachel, but he knew he couldn't automatically force it out of her.

"Quinn, are you alright?" he asked, before comforting her with a hug. He didn't know if Quinn particularly liked him or not, but it was the only thing he could do. She buried her head in his shoulder for awhile and then nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked, as Quinn calmed down a little bit. She took a deep breath before starting to talk.

"Well, Kendall was driving us back from his aunt's house, and we were just going through and some guy ran a stoplight and t-boned us, and I was sitting on the other side but Rachel and Kendall were on the side where we got hit," Quinn said, through small sobs.

"How are they doing?" Jesse asked, silently praying that nothing happened to either of them. Mostly, he hoped Rachel was okay, that nothing happened to that pretty face of hers. Even if something did, he knew he would still be captured by her. He would still love her.

"Kendall's alright. They said he had a concussion and he cracked a couple of ribs," Quinn said after taking a few deep breaths. "But Rachel, she got hit the hardest and she's in surgery right now."

Jesse sat down on his seat after his legs got a little bit shaky, and he stared blankly at the floor. He needed Rachel to be okay. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, he didn't know how little time there really was.

"Listen, I know this isn't going to work to your benefit, but… I called the rest of her friends, the Glee club. They needed to know. And… some of them are going to get here as soon as they can,"

He knew it was wrong to wish her friends wouldn't show up, but he still just wanted it to be him there. He wanted to be the knight in shining armor, or maybe just the hand she woke up holding on the hospital bed. "Who's coming?" he asked, hoping especially that it wasn't Finn.

"Tina, Kurt, and… Finn," Quinn said, knowing that Jesse did not want to hear the last name. She was much calmer now, and she could see that Jesse was starting to do worse than her. "This might sound crazy, but I think she wants you to be there when she wakes up."

Jesse looked up, surprised at what Quinn had just said. "There's no way that's true. I don't blame her either, she has every right to wish I were gone," he said in quite an upset tone. "I know she hates me. She didn't even have to tell me, it was just the look in her eyes."

Quinn smiled slightly and shook her head, amazed at how dramatic Jesse could always be no matter how dramatic the circumstance already was. "I know for a fact that she doesn't hate you. I know she's hurt and there are still some wounds, but she was so happy when she was with you. How could a girl forget that? And right now, I know she needs you more than ever. More than she could ever need Finn or Puck or anyone else from the Glee club. You've been there for her during her worst times."

Jesse looked at Quinn's sage facial expression, wondering how she got so wise about these things. _Being pregnant really does give you some type of new outlook_, he thought.

He looked through the window of Kendall's room, where he lay there unconscious. He was deeply in love with Rachel, but he knew that Kendall was one lucky guy for finding a girl like Quinn in a place full of shallow and unintelligent girls.


End file.
